An Eastern Pacific Ocean patrol in May by the crew of the Coast Guard cutter Alert stopped over $76 million worth of cocaine from entertaining into the hands of drug dealers in the United States, the Guard has said.
The interdiction occurred in international waters in the Eastern Pacific Ocean off the coasts of Central and South America. The cocaine was unloaded by the Coast Guard in San Diego on June 9.
Rear Adm. Andrew Sugimoto, commander of the Coast Guard 11th District, said keeping the drugs from reaching U.S. shores not only saves lives, but reduces violence, corruption and instability.